The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)

Chapter C (2)

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23. Persons of any caste may join the Siunârâyani sect. When a candidate wishes to affiliate himself, they first warn him of the difficulties before him and test him for a few days, when, if approved, he is directed to bring a present according to his means to the headman, known as Guru or Mahant. The candidate comes before the Guru, who sits with the scriptures opposite him, and first makes a sacrifice by burning camphor and dason, or ten kinds of perfumes. These are thrown on fire, and the sweet savour which arises is their form of worship. Then some camphor is burnt before the scriptures, and all present rub the smoke over their faces. The candidate then washes the big toe of the Guru and drinks the water (charanamrita). Next the Guru recites privately into his ear the formula (mantra) of initiation, which is carefully concealed from outsiders. After this the initiate distributes sweets to the congregation. He is then considered Sant or initiate, and receives a small book which he is permitted to study, and which serves as a pass of admission to future meetings. If he loses it he has to appear at the next Basant Panchami meeting, and pay two and-a-half rupees for a new copy, as well as a fine of five rupees for his negligence. At these meetings there is music and singing, men and women sit apart, and after the Mahant has finished his reading, he receives the contributions of the faithful. They are not allowed to drink in the Dhâmghar, but they may smoke gânja, bhang, or tobacco there. They never practise exorcisms (ojhâi), nor do they get into a state of religious frenzy and deliver oracles. As already stated the dead are buried with signs of rejoicing. Some camphor is burnt in the grave before the body is laid there, and then all present join in filling up the grave. All initiates, male and female, are buried in this way. Children and persons not initiated are interred without any ceremony. If the wife of an initiate die, her relatives can take away her body and cremate it. They marry like ordinary Chamârs, and get a Brâhman to fix a lucky time. A similar movement among the Châmars of Bilâspur, in the Central Provinces [199] took place under Ghâsidâs between 1820 and 1830, and in Bikâner under Lâlgir about fifty years ago. Their sole worship is said to consist in calling on the invisible lord (Alakh, Alakh).

[Demonology.] 24. The ordinary Chamâr believes that disease, death, and all troubles are due to demoniacal influence. When a person falls ill a sorcerer (ojha) is called in, and he points out the particular evil spirit which is responsible for the mischief, and the appropriate sacrifice by means of which he can be appeased. In the same way barrenness in women is held to be due to her possession by some demon. A widow is very careful to worship the spirit of her deceased husband. In this case, as with a deceased wife, no image is used, but a piece of ground is plastered, and on it is placed a new loin-cloth (dhoti) and a waist chain (kardhani). Sometimes a pig is sacrificed. The soul of a dead husband is called manushya deva or “the man-god.” Persons who die in any sudden or unusual way become malevolent spirits (bhût), and must be carefully propitiated. Their offering is a young pig and an oblation of spirits. Chickens are offered to Ghâzi Miyân, goats to Devi, and pigs to the family godlings and evil spirits. These are offered at the house shrine, while offerings to godlings and saints are made at their temples or tombs. The regular feast in honour of the dead is the Mahâlâya Amâwas, Pitrbisarjan, or Pitrasaunan. Among trees they respect the pîpal, tulasi, and nîm. The pîpal is the abode of Vasudeva, the tulasi of Lakshmi, the nîm of Sîtala. Mother Ganges (Ganga mâi) is a special object of reverence. The favourite method of propitiating evil spirits of those who have died by accident is to pour spirits near the place occupied by the Bhût, and to light some gânja in a pipe-bowl. For ghosts of high caste persons, the proper offering is a fire sacrifice (hom). The ordinary malignant evil spirit is called Bhût or Daitya; that of a Muhammadan Shahîd Mard; the Jinn is higher and more powerful than these. To the Shahîd Mard and Jinn the sacrifice is not a pig but a fowl and flowers.

[Social regulations.] 25. The Chamâr from his occupation and origin ranks even below the non-Aryan tribes who have been quite recently adopted into Hinduism. He is considered impure because he eats beef, pork, and fowls, all abomination to the orthodox Hindu. He will eat cattle which die a natural death, and numerous cases have occurred where Chamârs have poisoned cattle for the sake of the hides and flesh. He keeps herds of pigs, and the Chamrauti or Chamâr quarter in a Hindu village is generally a synonym for a place abounding in all kinds of abominable filth, where a clean living Hindu seldom, unless for urgent necessity, cares to intrude. One proverb describes a man setting up to be Gopâl, a respectable Krishna worshipper, while his pots and pans are as filthy as those of a Chamâr (Nem tem Gopâl aisan; hânri charui Chamâr aisan), and another says,—“The worthy are dying and the unworthy living because Chamârs are drinking Ganges water,”—Lajâlu marê, dhithau jiyê; Ganga jal Chamârân piyê). This repugnance to him is increased by his eating the leavings of almost any caste except Dhobis and Doms, and by the pollution which attaches to his wife (Chamârin, Chamâin), who acts as midwife and cuts the umbilical cord. But in spite of his degraded social position, the Chamâr is proud and punctilious and very conservative as regards the rights and privileges which he receives in the village community. Their women wear, at least in the east of the Province, no noserings; they have metal bangles (mathiya) on their wrists; arm ornaments (bâju) and heavy bell-metal anklets (pairi). Chamârs swear by Râma, the Guru, the Ganges, Mahâdeva Bâba, the shoemaker’s last (pharuhi), and their sons’ heads. They will not touch a Dom or Dhobi, nor the wife of a younger brother or nephew, nor will they call their wives by their names. Women eat after the men. They salute relatives and clansmen in the forms Râm! Râm! and pâêlagi.

[Occupations.] 26. The Chamâr practises a variety of occupations. His primary business is curing skins and shoemaking, and the latter business has developed what is really a separate caste, that of the Mochi (Sans: mochika); in a village he provides all leathern articles used in husbandry, such as whips, thongs, well buckets, and the like. As a rule, he has a circle of constituents (jajmân) whose dead cattle he receives, and to whom he gives leather and a certain number of shoes in return. His wife has similarly a certain number of families to whom she acts as midwife and performs various menial services at marriages and festivals. The Chamâr himself is the general village drudge (begâr, pharait), runs messages, and does odd jobs, such as thatching when he is called Gharâmi, and the like. Sometimes he receives wages in cash or kind, but perhaps more generally an allowance of grain per plough belonging to the family he serves, or a patch of rent-free land. Another part of his duties is to beat drums and blow trumpets during a marriage or when cholera or other epidemic disease is being exorcised from the village. Large numbers of Chamârs take to field labour, act as ploughmen, carters, grooms, or emigrate to towns, where they do various kinds of unskilled work. In Partâbgarh they are said to have usurped the business of carrying palanquins, the hereditary occupation of Kahârs. The extension of the leather trade at Cawnpur has made it a great Chamâr centre. Many of them have become wealthy and aim at a standard of social respectability much higher than their rural brethren, and some have begun even to seclude their women which every native does as soon as he commences to rise in the world.

27. The system of tanning pursued by the ordinary village Chamâr is of the most primitive kind. The skins are placed in a pit and covered with water, containing lime (chûna) and impure carbonate of soda (sajji); after ten days they are taken out and the hair removed with an iron scraper (khurpi). They are again removed, sewn up in the form of a bag, which is again filled with the bark solution, and hang on a tree or stand. This process lasts five days, when the tanning is considered complete. [200]

DISTRIBUTION OF CHAMÂRS BY SUB-CASTES ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

===============+==========+=========+=============+==========+=========+=======+==========+===========+=========+============+=========+=========+=============+===========+==========+===========+===========+=========== District. | Aharwâr. | Chamâr. | Chamkatiya. | Dhusiya. | Dohar. | Gola. | Jaiswâr. | Jatwa. | Kori. | Korchamra. | Kuril. | Nigoti. | Pathargoti. | Purabiya. | Râêdâsi. | Sakarwâr. | Others. | Total. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~ Dehra Dûn | 358 | 4,356 | ... | ... | 48 | ... | 759 | 622 | 530 | 107 | 127 | ... | ... | ... | 1,478 | ... | 8,108 | 16,493 Sahâranpur | ... | 145,175 | ... | 8,118 | ... | ... | 812 | 3,092 | 20 | ... | 47 | ... | ... | ... | 1,400 | ... | 29,062 | 187,726 Muzaffarnagar | ... | 87,595 | ... | 5 | ... | ... | 17 | 16,478 | ... | ... | 2 | ... | ... | 3 | 5,152 | ... | 2,005 | 111,257 Meerut | ... | 31,219 | ... | 666 | ... | ... | 2,014 | 175,159 | ... | 9 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 68 | ... | 7,900 | 217,035 Bulandshahr | 5,185 | 6,068 | ... | 3,914 | ... | ... | ... | 87,319 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 15,860 | ... | 44,732 | 163,078 Aligarh | ... | 800 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 64,523 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 3,697 | ... | 94,614 | 163,634 Mathura | 34 | 78 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,013 | 101,714 | ... | ... | 331 | ... | 51 | 246 | 366 | ... | 3,155 | 107,024 Agra | ... | ... | ... | 36 | 239 | ... | 1,546 | 159,093 | 8 | ... | 53 | 214 | 522 | 45 | 450 | 746 | 10,649 | 164,565 Farrukhâbâd | 15,550 | ... | ... | 30 | 23,038 | ... | 625 | 47,919 | 408 | 324 | 378 | ... | ... | ... | 12 | ... | 932 | 89,216 Mainpuri | 549 | ... | ... | 359 | 73 | ... | 23 | 84,207 | ... | 68 | 19 | 521 | 19 | ... | 1 | 612 | 14,751 | 101,202 Etâwah | 499 | ... | 601 | 159 | 56,427 | 3,861 | 1 | 45,991 | ... | ... | 584 | ... | ... | ... | 4 | 1,078 | 2,225 | 111,430 Etah | 22 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 11 | ... | 88,156 | ... | ... | 34 | ... | ... | 9 | 351 | ... | 797 | 89,380 Bareilly | 1,430 | ... | 65,925 | ... | 6 | ... | ... | 19,713 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,061 | ... | 4,007 | 95,142 Bijnor | ... | 113,971 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 20 | 8,743 | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | 994 | ... | 959 | 124,688 Budâun | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 629 | 120,350 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 762 | ... | 2,290 | 124,031 Morâdâbâd | ... | 12,631 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 111 | 157,964 | 95 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1,438 | ... | 6,308 | 178,547 Shâhjahânpur | ... | ... | ... | ... | 51,632 | ... | 8,418 | 35,252 | ... | ... | 5 | ... | ... | 358 | 90 | ... | 1,044 | 96,799 Pilibhît | ... | ... | ... | ... | 14,600 | ... | 184 | 17,600 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 404 | ... | ... | 150 | 32,938 Cawnpur | 1,197 | ... | ... | ... | 26,082 | ... | 2,446 | 1,953 | ... | 9 | 66,890 | ... | ... | ... | 11,804 | ... | 39,478 | 149,889 Fatehpur | 29 | ... | 1,882 | ... | ... | ... | 25,016 | 642 | ... | 1,117 | 14,713 | ... | ... | ... | 5,711 | ... | 22,615 | 71,731 Bânda | 11,220 | ... | ... | ... | 5,589 | ... | 107 | ... | ... | ... | 3,652 | ... | ... | ... | 8,888 | 421 | 80,847 | 110,716 Hamîrpur | 67,619 | ... | ... | 24 | 697 | ... | 95 | 290 | ... | ... | 2,470 | ... | ... | ... | 65 | 1,962 | 1,721 | 74,919 Allahâbâd | 2 | ... | 137 | ... | ... | ... | 60,438 | ... | 685 | 2,654 | 139 | ... | ... | ... | 17,355 | ... | 64,508 | 145,942 Jhânsi | 49,940 | ... | 27 | ... | 2,505 | ... | 468 | 1,261 | ... | ... | 7 | ... | ... | ... | 228 | ... | 1,942 | 56,378 Jâlaun | 2,417 | ... | ... | ... | 27,280 | ... | 17 | 6,220 | ... | ... | 14 | ... | ... | ... | 128 | 23 | 25,500 | 61,599 Lalitpur | 32,419 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 9 | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | 43 | ... | 184 | ... | 1,112 | 33,768 Benares | ... | ... | ... | 31,377 | ... | ... | 67,071 | ... | ... | ... | 232 | ... | ... | ... | 1,113 | ... | 4,475 | 104,268 Mirzapur | ... | ... | ... | 154 | 48 | ... | 117,900 | ... | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | 6,295 | ... | 22,897 | 147,295 Jaunpur | ... | ... | ... | 344 | ... | ... | 184,538 | ... | ... | ... | 250 | ... | ... | 1,012 | 643 | ... | 1,180 | 187,967 Ghâzipur | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 6,766 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 576 | ... | 126,629 | 133,971 Ballia | ... | ... | ... | 44,932 | ... | ... | 276 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 101 | ... | 23,483 | 68,792 Gorakhpur | ... | ... | 69 | 11,445 | ... | ... | 42,798 | 580 | 1,756 | ... | 1,944 | ... | ... | ... | 1,829 | ... | 300,810 | 361,231 Basti | ... | ... | 1,034 | 192 | ... | ... | 77,285 | ... | 50,931 | 4,253 | 1,049 | ... | ... | 261 | 53,763 | ... | 88,238 | 276,966 Azamgarh | ... | ... | ... | 502 | 151 | ... | 162,916 | ... | ... | 372 | 607 | ... | ... | ... | 2,473 | ... | 131,842 | 298,863 Kumâun | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 203 | 203 Garhwâl | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 24 | ... | ... | 24 Tarâi | ... | 482 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 198 | 18,786 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 142 | ... | 1,937 | 21,545 Lucknow | 92 | ... | 40 | 609 | ... | ... | 125 | 372 | 28 | 47 | 58,688 | ... | ... | 3,605 | 898 | 97 | 4,242 | 68,848 Unâo | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 46 | ... | 171 | ... | 95,079 | ... | ... | 2,023 | ... | ... | 1,372 | 98,691 Râê Bareli | 1,671 | 1,224 | 6,754 | ... | 1,465 | ... | 14,610 | 2,877 | 1,339 | 15,727 | 23,850 | ... | ... | 1,135 | 16,503 | ... | 9,508 | 96,663 Sîtapur | ... | ... | 906 | ... | 4 | ... | 231 | 891 | 86 | 34 | 1,594 | ... | ... | 121,998 | 162 | ... | 19,164 | 145,070 Hardoi | 3,715 | ... | ... | ... | 103,635 | ... | 47 | 4,513 | ... | ... | 67,058 | ... | ... | 8,513 | 57 | ... | 433 | 187,971 Kheri | ... | ... | ... | ... | 35,932 | ... | 231 | 408 | ... | 11 | 163 | ... | ... | 77,354 | 8 | ... | 3,748 | 117,855 Faizâbâd | ... | ... | 1,743 | ... | ... | ... | 97,781 | 1,177 | 42,260 | ... | 987 | ... | ... | 2,367 | 15,599 | ... | 5,821 | 165,735 Gonda | ... | ... | 62 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2,170 | ... | ... | 14,634 | 6,439 | ... | 18,330 | 41,635 Bahrâich | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 79 | 7 | 1 | ... | 194 | ... | ... | 20,475 | 14 | ... | 50,571 | 73,341 Sultânpur | ... | ... | 5,017 | ... | ... | ... | 22,983 | ... | 96,342 | 107 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 15,197 | ... | 8,934 | 148,473 Partâbgarh | ... | ... | 143 | ... | ... | ... | 15,464 | ... | 39,961 | 886 | 301 | ... | ... | ... | 15,108 | ... | 38,904 | 109,988 Bârabanki | ... | ... | 325 | ... | ... | ... | 12 | ... | ... | ... | 24,280 | ... | ... | 35,205 | 2,590 | ... | 18,438 | 81,536 +~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~ ~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~ Total | 193,948 | 403,599 | 84,665 | 102,806 | 349,451 | 3,872 | 916,125 | 1,264,878 | 234,622 | 25,515 | 367,913 | 735 | 635 | 289,647 | 220,073 | 4,939 | 1,352,570 | 5,816,053 ===============+==========+=========+=============+==========+=========+=======+==========+===========+=========+============+=========+=========+=============+===========+==========+===========+===========+===========

Chamar Gaur.—A sept of Râjputs of whom Sir H. M. Elliot [201] writes—“Among the Gaur Râjputs the Chamar Gaur who are sub-divided into Râja and Râê, rank the highest, which is accounted for in this way:—When trouble fell upon the Gaur family, one of their ladies, far advanced in pregnancy, took refuge in a Chamâr’s house, and was so grateful to him for his protection, that she promised to call her child by his name. The Bhâts and Brâhmans to whom the others fled do not appear to have had similar forbearance, and hence, strange as it may appear, the sub-divisions called after their name rank below the Chamar Gaur.” Pargana Sandîla, of Hardoi, was, so it is said, occupied by Thatheras, [202] who by one theory are identical with the Bhars, and then Chamar Gaurs came in from near Bijnaur in the time of Jay Chand. They came in under two chiefs, bringing with them Dikshit Brâhmans, who up to the present are their recognised priests. They differ entirely from Chamar Gaurs, who came from near Cawnpur, and have for their priests Tiwâri Brâhmans. The writer of the Hardoi Settlement Report [203] speaks of the Chamar Gaurs as “a refractory, quarrelsome, ill-conditioned set, their one redeeming quality (owed probably to the fact that they are Râjputs in name rather than in reality) is that they do not murder their daughters.” Their ancestor, Ganga Sinh, known as Kâna, or “one-eyed,” is said to have driven out the Thatheras.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHAMAR GAUR RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Chanamiya.—A sept of Râjputs, not separately recorded in the Census Returns, found in Jaunpur, Azamgarh, and Gorakhpur. They are generally, according to Sir H. M. Elliot, [204] included among the Bais of inferior descent, and are sometimes identified with the Gargbans.

Chandauriya.—A Râjput sept found in Faizâbâd. They are an offshoot of the Bais of Baiswâra, who emigrated under their leader, Uday Buddhê Sinh, who gained his estates under the protection of a noted faqîr known as Kâli Pahâr. The title of Chandauriya from the village Chandaur is said to have been conferred on the sept by the Râja of Hasanpur. [205]

Chandel. [206]—(Sanskrit Chandra, “the moon”).—An important sept of Râjputs. They claim descent from the moon, Chandra, up to Brahma. According to one version of the tribal legend Hemâvati was the daughter of Hemrâj, the family priest of Indrajît, the Gaharwâr Râja of Kâshi (Benares), or of Indrajît himself. With her at midnight the moon had dalliance. She awoke and saw the moon going away, and was about to curse him saying,—“I am not a Gautam woman that I should be thus treated.” When he replied,—“The curse of Sri Krishna has been fulfilled. Your son will become a mighty hero, and will reign from the sunrise to the sunset.” Hemâvati said:—“Tell me that spell whereby my son may be absolved.” He answered:—“You will have a son and he will be your expiation,” and he gave her this spell—“When the time of your delivery comes near go to Asu, near Kalinjar, and there dwell. When within a short time of being delivered, cross the River Ken and go to Khajrain, where Chintaman Banya lives, and stay with him. Your son shall perform the great sacrifice. In this iron age sacrifices are not perfect. I will appear as a Brâhman and complete the sacrifice. Then your absolution will be complete.” The fruit of this amour was Chandra Varma, said to have been born in A.D. 157, and from him to Parmal Deo, whose fort Kalinjar was taken by Kutb-ud-dîn in 1202 A.D., there are said to have been by one account forty-nine and by another twenty-three generations.

2. By another version their original birthplace was Kalinjar. The King of that fort one day asked his family priest what was the day of the month. He answered that it was the full moon (pûranmâsi), whereas it was really the Amâvas or the last day of the dark fortnight. When the Pandit became aware of the mistake which he had committed, he went home and fell into deep distress. When his daughter learned the cause of his sorrow, she prayed to the moon to appear at once full, and thus justify her father’s words. The moon appeared, and as a reward lay with her, and when her father heard of this he expelled her from his house; so she wandered into the jungle, and there her child was born. There a Banâphar Râjput saw her and took her home. Her father was so ashamed of the affair that he turned himself into a stone, and as his name was Mani Râm, he is now worshipped as Maniya Deva. The Chandel ascendancy in Bundelkhand between the supremacy of the Gonds and the advent of the Muhammadans is a well-known historical fact; it was during this period that the great irrigation works in the Hamîrpur District, the forts of Kalinjar and Ajaygarh, and the noble temples of Khajurâhu and Mahoba were built.

3. All these legends may point indirectly to some flaw in the tribal pedigree. We know that the Mirzapur legend of Oran Deo closely connects them with the aboriginal Soiris as the Oudh story suggests kinship with the Bhars. [207] The Unâo branch say they come from Chanderi, in the Dakkhin, whence they emigrated after the overthrow of the Bundelkhand kingdom of Mahoba by Prithivi Râja in spite of the bravery of the Banâphar heroes Alah and Udal. [208] Part of them emigrated to Unâo as late as the reign of Aurangzeb. As for the Eastern branch of the sept they are admitted to be of Sombansi origin, but do not intermarry with the leading tribes. The Bundelas are by one account a spurious breed between them and slave girls. [209] One of the Cawnpur families fasten their coats on the right side of the chest like Muhammadans. They say they do this in memory of the Delhi Emperors who remitted their tribute. [210]

[Manners and customs.] 4. In Bundelkhand they are reported [211] to give their daughters in marriage to Jâdons, Sisodhiyas, Sengars, Kachhwâhas, Bhadauriyas, and Tomars; but they take girls only from tribes of the higher rank. After the bride is brought to her husband’s house Devi is worshipped with the accompaniment of singing and dancing, and then the bride marks the door with her spread hand smeared with aipan or a mixture of powdered rice and turmeric. The maximum number of wives that a man can take is seven; but the usual number is two or three. Betrothal is usually performed in infancy and marriage very early in life. The family barber often arranges the match, but now-a-days a regular marriage broker is sometimes appointed. Some dower is always given by the father of the bride. A wife may be divorced if she contracts leprosy or if she be unfaithful. Such women cannot marry again.

5. When the pregnancy of a woman is announced the ceremony of chauk is performed in the fifth or seventh month. The husband and wife are seated in a sacred enclosure (chauk), while a Brâhman recites texts. After the ceremony parched rice and sweetmeats are distributed to the brethren. At her confinement the mother is attended by a sweeper woman for three days, and by a barber woman for forty days. When the delivery takes place, an old woman of the family smears her hand with oil and makes a mark on the wall of the room, after which the cord is cut. The mother bathes on the third day, after which the ceremony of charua is done, and this is followed by the usual sixth day observance (chhathi).

6. The betrothal (mangni) consists in the bride’s barber coming to the house of the bridegroom and marking his forehead (tîka). Their marriage and death ceremonies are of the ordinary orthodox form.

7. Their special god is Mahâdeva, who is worshipped by men, and Devi by women and children.

8. In Oudh the Chandels take brides from the Chauhân, Gaharwâr, Raikwâr, Janwâr, and Dhâkrê septs: and give wives to the Gaur, Sombansi, and Punwâr. In Azamgarh they receive wives from the Baranwâr, Kâkan, Singhel, Udmatiya, Donwâr and Gaharwâr septs: and give their daughters to the Gargbansi Gautam, Palwâr, Sirnet, Râjkumâr, Bachgoti, Kausik, Raghubansi, Bais and Chandrabansi.

DISTRIBUTION OF CHANDEL RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

==============+========+============+=======
Districts. |Hindus. |Muhammadans.| Total.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~
Sahâranpur | 18 | 24 | 42
Muzaffarnagar | 17 | ... | 17
Meerut | 2 | ... | 2
Bulandshahr | 265 | 1 | 266
Aligarh | 45 | ... | 45
Mathura | 32 | 10 | 42
Agra | 119 | ... | 119
Farrukhâbâd | 1,349 | 16 | 1,365
Mainpuri | 220 | 45 | 265
Etâwah | 681 | ... | 681
Etah | 82 | ... | 82
Bareilly | 342 | ... | 342
Budâun | 1,038 | 29 | 1,067
Morâdâbâd | 60 | ... | 60
Shâhjahânpur | 5,632 | 85 | 5,717
Pilibhît | 228 | ... | 228
Cawnpur | 12,868 | ... | 12,868
Fatehpur | 1,755 | 4 | 1,759
Bânda | 958 | ... | 958
Hamîrpur | 554 | 94 | 648
Allahâbâd | 1,659 | 27 | 1,686
Jhânsi | 84 | 31 | 115
Jâlaun | 978 | 117 | 1,095
Lalitpur | 125 | ... | 125
Benares | 1,944 | 58 | 2,002
Mirzapur | 4,947 | ... | 4,947
Jaunpur | 7,901 | 8 | 7,909
Ghâzipur | 806 | 257 | 1,063
Ballia | 3,109 | ... | 3,109
Gorakhpur | 3,429 | 60 | 3,489
Basti | 228 | 602 | 830
Azamgarh | 5,186 | 88 | 5,274
Lucknow | 810 | 15 | 825
Unâo | 2,834 | 74 | 2,908
Râê Bareli | 1,037 | 51 | 1,088
Sîtapur | 491 | 267 | 758
Hardoi | 5,379 | 37 | 5,416
Kheri | 490 | 121 | 611
Faizâbâd | 906 | 21 | 927
Gonda | 391 | ... | 391
Bahrâich | 195 | 40 | 235
Sultânpur | 751 | 131 | 882
Partâbgarh | 315 | 12 | 327
Bârabanki | 886 | 19 | 905
+~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~
Total | 71,146 | 2,344 | 73,490
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Chandrabansi.—Properly the race of the moon (Chandravansa). One of the two great divisions of the Kshatriya race, of whom a full account is given in the second chapter of Colonel Tod’s “Annals of Rajasthân.” In these Provinces it is the title of a separate sept, who are quite distinct from the Chandels who claim to represent the ancient children of the moon. They are most numerous in the Bulandshahr District.

2. In Azamgarh they claim to belong to the Bhârgava gotra; they receive brides from the Bisen, Sakarwâr, Nandwak, Râthaur, Palwâr, Gautam, Ujjaini, Chandel, Bais, Udmatiya, Singhel, and Kausik septs; and marry their daughters to the Gargbansi, Raghubansi, Sûrajbansi, Chauhân, and Sirnet. In Aligarh they take girls from the Gahlot, Kachhwâha, Râthaur, Bargûjar, Solankhi, Bâchhal, Jais, Janghâra, and Pundîr, and give brides to the Chauhân, Gahlot, Bargûjar, Punwâr, Tomar, Râthaur, Kachhwâha, Janghâra, and Dhâkra septs.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHANDRABANSI RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Charandâsi.—A Vaishnava sect which takes its name from its founder, Charan Dâs, of the Dhûsar caste, who was born at Dehra, in the Alwar State in 1703. His father was Murli Dhûsar, who died when his son, then called Ranjît Sinh, was only five years old. “The boy then emigrated to Delhi and lived with some relations there. He became a disciple of Bâba Sukhdeva Dâs, a religious faqîr of high religious attainments, at the age of nineteen, at Sukra Tâl, near Muzaffarnagar, who gave him the name of Râmcharan Dâs. Afterwards Charan Dâs established a separate religious order in his own name, and, like others, preached, and made many disciples. His principal disciples were Swâmi Râmrûp, Gusâîn Jagatân, and a woman named Shâhgolâi. Each of these established a monastery in Delhi and obtained grants from the Mughal Emperors, which have been confirmed by the British Government.” [212]

2. Of the tenets of the sect, Prof. Wilson [213] writes:—“Their doctrines of universal emanation are much the same as those of the Vedanta school, although they correspond with the Vaishnava sects in maintaining the great source of all things, or Brahma to be Krishna; reverence of the Guru, and assertion of the pre-eminence of faith above every other distinction, are also common to them with other Vaishnava sects, from whom probably they only differ in requiring no other qualification of caste, order, or even of sect, for their teachers; they affirm, indeed, that originally they differed from other sects of Vaishnavas in worshipping no sensible representations of the deity, and in excluding even the tulasi plant and the Sâlagrâma stone from their devotions; they have, however, they admit, recently adopted them, in order to maintain a friendly intercourse with the followers of Râmanand: another peculiarity in their system is the importance they attach to morality, and they do not acknowledge faith to be independent of works; actions, they maintain, invariably meet with retribution or reward; their moral code, which they seem to have borrowed from the Mâdhavas, if not from a purer source, consist of ten prohibitions. They are not to lie, not to revile, not to speak harshly, not to discourse idly, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to offer violence to any created thing, not to imagine evil, not to cherish hatred, and not to indulge in conceit or pride. The other obligations are,—to discharge the duties of the profession or caste to which a person belongs, to associate with pious men, to put implicit faith in the spiritual preceptor, to adore Hari as the original and indefinable cause of all, and who, through the operation of Mâya, created the universe, and has appeared in it occasionally in a mortal form, and particularly as Krishna at Brindaban.

3. “The followers of Charan Dâs are both clerical and secular; the latter are chiefly of the mercantile order, the former lead a mendicant and ascetic life, and are distinguished by wearing yellow garments, and a single streak of sandal or gopichandana down the forehead; the necklace and rosary are of Tulasi beads. They wear also a small, pointed cap, round the lower part of which they wrap a yellow turban. Their appearance in general is decent, and their deportment decorous; in fact, though they profess mendicity they are well supported by the opulence of their disciples. It is possible, indeed, that this sect, considering its origin and the class by which it is professed, arose out of an attempt to shake off the authority of the Gokulastha Gusâîns. The authorities of the sect are the Sri Bhâgwat and Gîta, of which they have Bhâsha translations; that of the former is ascribed, at least in parts, to Charan Dâs himself; he has also left original works, as the Sandeha Sâgar and Dharma Jihâj, in a dialogue between him and his teacher, Sukhdeva, the same, according to Charan Dâsis, as the pupil of Vyâsa and narrator of the Purânas. The first disciple of Charan Dâs was his own sister, Sahaji Bâi, and she succeeded to her brother’s authority as well as learning, having written the Sahaj Prakâsh and Solah Tat Nirnâya. They have both left many Sabdas and Kavits. Other works in Bhâsha have been composed by various teachers of the sect. The chief seat of the Charan Dâsis is at Delhi, where is the Samâdh or monument of the founder. This establishment consists of about twenty resident members. There are also five or six similar Mathas at Delhi and others in the upper part of the Duâb, and their numbers are said to be rapidly increasing.”

4. Unlike other dissenting sects the Charandâsis keep idols in their temples and respect Brâhmans, who are found as members of the sect. Their sacred place is Dehra, the birthplace of their chief, where there is a monument over his navel string, and his garment and rosary are kept. “The Charandâsi breviary (gutka) exhibits more Sanskrit learning than those of the other sects, and instead of passing allusions to mythology, goes into details regarding Sri Krishna’s family, and merely popularises the orthodox Sanskrit teaching. Thus there is a chapter on one of the Upanishads and another from the Bhâgwat Purâna. Its style is, perhaps, more full and expressive, and less involved than other books of the same class. The Sâdhs hold to the vernacular, and some time ago are said to have resented an attempt of a learned Charan Dâsi to substitute Sanskrit verse for the vulgar tongue. The breviary contains the Sanedha Sâgar and the Dharma Jihâj mentioned above. One rather striking chapter professedly taken from some Sanskrit book should be called Nâsa Kshetra’s Inferno. Nâsa Kshetra is permitted to visit the hells, and to see the torments of sinners, which are described in detail, and the sins of each class specified. It is, in fact, an amplification of the Purânic account of Naraka, adapted to impress the minds of the vulgar. Nâsa Kshetra is then taken to visit heaven, and subsequently returns to earth to relate what he has witnessed.” [214]

DISTRIBUTION OF THE CHARANDÂSIS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Chaubê—[Sans.: Chaturvedika—“one skilled in the four Vedas;” according to others because they use four fire-pits (vedi)].—A sub-caste of Brâhmans who have their head-quarters at Mathura, whence they are very commonly known as Mathura ke Chaubê, Mathur or Mathuriya.

2. They are a sub-division of the great Kanaujiya stock, and according to Dr. Wilson, [215] their principal sub-divisions are,—Nayapura, Hargadi, Chaukhar, Kataya, Râmpura, Paliya, Hardâspura, Tibaiya, Jamaduva, and Gargeya. According to another account they have seven gotras and sixty-four als: of these it has been found impossible to obtain a full list. The best known of the seven gotras are Bhâradwâja, Dhuma, Sana, Astra, and Daksha. Some of their als are Pânrê, Pâthak, Misra, Lapsê, Soti, Bharatwâr, Jonmanê, Ghebariya, Chhiraura, Donrwâr, and Tivâri.

3. The local legend tells that during the Varâha incarnation of Vishnu, the Daitya Hiranyâksha, twin brother of Hiranya-Kasipu, the hero of the Holi legend, came to fight with the deity. Varâha killed him, but was smitten with remorse, as his antagonist had been a Brâhman. So he sat down on the Visrânt Ghât at Mathura, and began to meditate how he could atone for the sin which he had committed. From the perspiration which the deity rubbed from his body sprang the Chaubês of Mathura. With their aid he performed a sacrifice and cleansed himself from his iniquity.

4. The Chaubês of Mathura are endogamous. It is said that their women can never live beyond the land of Braj. Hence the verse,—Mathura ki beti, Gokul ki gâê, Karam phûtê to ant jâê. “Mathura girls and Gokul cows will never move while fate allows.”

This custom of endogamy results in two exceptional usages—first, that marriage contracts are often made while one or even both the parties are still unborn; and, secondly, that little or no regard is paid to relative age; thus a Chaubê, if his friend has no available daughter to bestow upon him, will agree to wait for his first grand-daughter. They will not, if it can possibly be avoided, marry in their own gotra; but instances are said to occur in which this law of exogamy is not observed. According to Mr. Raikes [216] they have four varieties of marriage, called in the jargon of the tribe—awwal byâh or “first class,” of which the total cost is Rs. 225; doum or “second class,” costing Rs. 175; tisra or “third class,” costing Rs. 75, and kora or “mean,” where only one rupee is paid by the bride’s folk; but no disgrace attaches to this cheap wedding.

5. “They are still very celebrated as wrestlers, and in the Mathura Mahâtmya their learning and other virtues are also extolled in the most extravagant terms; but either the writer was prejudiced, or time has had a sadly deteriorating effect. They are now ordinarily described by their own countrymen as a low, ignorant horde of rapacious mendicants. Like the Prâgwâlas at Allahâbâd, they are the recognised local cicerones; and they may always be seen with their portly forms lolling about near the most popular ghâts and temples, ready to bear down on the first pilgrim that approaches. One of their most notable peculiarities is that they are very reluctant to make a match with an outsider, and if by any possibility it can be managed they will always find bridegrooms for their daughters among the residents of the town. Many years ago a considerable migration was made to Mainpuri, where the Mathuriya Chaubês now form a large and wealthy section of the community, and are in every way of better repute than the parent stock.” [217] Another peculiarity of them is their notorious love for bhang and sweetmeats. All are Vaishnavas and worshippers of Sri Krishna.

6. Their women are well known for their beauty and delicacy of form. A native traveller [218] writes:—“The Chaubâinis are in the grandest style of beauty. The whole class is superb, and the general character of their figure is majestic. Their colour is the genuine classical colour of the Brâhmans of antiquity.” It is peculiar with them to celebrate a number of marriages the same day in order to save expense. Their greediness is proverbial—Achchê bhaê atal, prân gaê nikal—“A life is well lost that is lost in gorging sweets.”

DISTRIBUTION OF CHAUBÊ BRÂHMANS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Males 5,452
Females 5,568

Chauhân.—An important sept of Râjputs. The Brâhmanical legend of their origin is thus described by Colonel Tod [219]:—“Again the Brâhmans kindled the sacred fire, and the priests assembling round the fire-pit (agnikunda) prayed for aid to Mahâdeva. From the fire fountain a figure issued out, but he had not a warrior’s mien. The Brâhmans placed him as guardian of the gate, and hence his name Prithiha-dwâra. A second issued forth, and being formed in the palm (challu) of the hand was named Chalûka. A third appeared and was named Pramâra. He had the blessing of the Rishis, and with the others went against demons; but they did not prevail. Again Vasishtha, seated on the lotus, prepared incantations; again he called the gods to aid; and as he poured forth the libation, a figure arose lofty in stature, of elevated front, hair like jet, eyes rolling, breast expanded, fierce, terrific, clad in armour, quiver filled, a bow in one hand and a brand in the other, quadriform (Chaturanga), whence his name Chauhân.” Another account derives the name from the Sanskrit Chaturbâhu, the name of the first king of the tribe. General Cunningham [220] shows from inscriptions that even as late as the time of Prithivi Râja, the Chauhâns had no claim to be sprung from fire, but were content to be considered descendants of the sage Bhrigu through Jamadagnya Vatsa, and he suggests another explanation of the fabled descent from fire, which does not seem very probable. According to tradition the famous city of Analpur, or Analwâra Patan, the capital of the Solankis, was said to have been founded by Vana Râja Solanki, who named it after Anala, a Chauhân cowherd, who pointed out the site to him. According to another version, the place was originally established by Anala Chauhân himself. As the date of the event was unknown, and was certainly remote, Anala was placed at the head of all the Chauhân genealogies as the progenitor of the race. Then, as Anala means “fire,” it naturally follows that the cowherd was dropped and the element of fire adopted as the originator of the race. He adds that in early times the name is written Chahuwân in agreement with the Chahumân of the old Shaikhâwati inscription of A.D. 961, and is pointedly derived from the Hindi châh “desire or choice,” which is an abbreviation of the Sanskrit ichchha. Dr. Buchanan [221] derives the name from chintapavana, “the thought purifier,” and the low grade so-called Chauhâns of Bijnor say they are so named because when crossing the Indus with Mân Sinh’s army in 1586 A.D., they lost the four requisites (chau “four”, hân “loss”) of Hindu communion, religion (dharm), ceremonies (riti), piety (daya) and duties (karma).

2. Of the Oudh Chauhâns, Sir C. Elliot writes [222]:—“In all probability they followed closely on the Dikhits in the date of their immigration. They colonised a tract of land which lies south of Dikhtiyâna, with the Panwârs, Bâchhals, and Parihârs between it and the River Ganges. Chauhâna is the name popularly given to this tract, which is properly said to consist of ninety villages. The traditional cause which led to the migration is as follows:—A certain Râja of Mainpuri married a second wife in his old age, though his first wife had borne him two sons. The bride expostulated with her family at being given in marriage to so old a man, and stipulated that if she had a son he should succeed to the estate and the title. The Râja agreed, and signed a written acknowledgment to that effect. After some time he died; but his wife had already borne him a son, and on his death she produced the bond which the Râja had signed. All the brotherhood agreed that they ought to abide by it. The two elder brothers left the country in disgust and settled in Oudh. The traditions of different villages in Chauhâna differ as to the names of these two brothers, and it is stated that only one of them remained here and the other went on to the borders of the Gomati and settled in Isauli, where there is now a large Chauhân colony. But as the whole of the great colonies of Bachgotis, Râjkumârs, Rajwârs, and Khânzâdas, who rule in the Faizâbâd and Sultânpur Districts, are Chauhâns disguised under various names, and originally emigrated from Mainpuri about the same time, it is safe to trust an isolated local tradition as to any close connection existing between any of these two colonies. It is sufficient to remark that they are all of the same gotra, and therefore belong to the same stock.”

[The Chauhâns of the Ganges-Jumna-Duâb.] 3. The most conspicuous families and those of the bluest blood are those of Mainpuri, Rajor, Pratâpner, and Chakarnagar. The Mainpuri family, [223] the head of the sept, is said to have settled in the Central Duâb in the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century. They are generally represented to be the lineal descendants of Pratâp Rudra, who was son of Râna Sangat, the great grandson of Chahir Deva, the brother of Prithivi Râja, the last Chauhân King of Delhi, who was conquered by Shahâb-ud-dîn Ghori in 1193 A.D. It is almost certain, however, that the real founder of this important branch of the Chauhâns was Deva Brahma, a less distinguished cadet of the same house. Shortly after the defeat of Prithivi Râja and the fall of the Chauhân dynasty, Brahma, accompanied by a numerous following of kinsmen and retainers, left his original seat at Nimrâna and settled at Pratâpner, near Bhongâon, in the Mainpuri District. The founder of this branch was Pratâp Rudra, who is constantly mentioned in the Makhzan-i-Afghâni of Niyâmat-ulla as having played a prominent part in the reign of Muhammad Ala-ud-dîn and Bahlol Lodi. He held Bhongâon, Kampil, and Patiyâli, and was confirmed by Bahlol Lodi as Governor of that part of the country. In the war between Bahlol and the Sharqi monarch of Jaunpur, Râê Pratâp and Qutb Khân, the Afghân Governor of the adjoining District of Râpri, acted in concert, sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other, and presumably on account of the assassination of Narasinha Deva, son of Râê Pratâp, they organised a conspiracy against Sultân Bahlol and compelled him to retreat towards Delhi, leaving the Jaunpur King in possession of the Central and Lower Duâb. A tradition runs that a Chauhân being sorely pressed by his son-in-law, and smarting under the sense of disgrace, as the father of a married daughter seemed to entail upon him, called together his son and bound them by an oath to save his family from future contempt by killing every female child that might be born to them. Since then the sept has borne an evil reputation for the practice of infanticide. [224]

[Traditions of other branches.] 4. One family in Lucknow are called Rakhula, because it is said that one of them had to lay an evil spirit, a Brahma Râkshasa, before he could occupy the village. Another story is that this family had a Churel as their ancestress. [225] In Mathura [226] the sept is classed as pure, because they do not allow widow-marriage. The Bareilly [227] branch say that ten generations back (1500–1550 A.D.), Nandhar Deva and Gandhar Deva came to Parauli in Budâun, and thence moving on expelled the Bhîls from Bisauli. The Gorakhpur branch are alleged by Dr. Buchanan [228] to have intermarried with impure Hill tribes, and to have a Chinese caste of features. In Bulandshahr [229] one branch accepted Islâm as they murdered the Muhammadan Governor of Sikandarâbâd, and another adopted widow-marriage, and have been expelled from the tribe. The legitimate Azamgarh branch traces its origin to Sambhal, in the Morâdâbâd District. [230]

[Inferior branches of the sept.] 5. In addition to the above, who claim legitimate descent, there are others whose position is more than doubtful. Such are those in Morâdâbâd and Bijnor, some of whom say they were originally Gahlot, others Gaur, Bais, Pânwâr, and so on. [231] They appear to be divided into three classes—Chaudhari, Padhân, and Khâgi. The last of these are the lowest, widow-marriage being permitted among them. The Chaudhari do not give their daughters to the Padhân, but take theirs.

They, as a rule, worship Mahâdeva and Devi. In Morâdâbâd, by one account, they take their name from chûha, “a rat,” which would connect them with distinctly non-Aryan races like the Musahar. They are said to have been driven into the Sub-Himalayan Tarâi by the advancing Thâkurs and Ahars. Similar and probably akin to these are the Aswâl of the hill, who also claim Chauhân origin. [232]

[Marriage rules.] 6. To the west of the Province the true Chauhâns usually seek alliances for their daughters with the Kachhwâha, Badhauriya, Baghel, and Râthaur, and the humble Chauhân will take a wife from the Parihâr of Bundelkhand or the Jâdon of Karauli. In Râê Bareli their sons marry Bisen girls, and their girls Kalhans and Burheliya youths. In Faizâbâd they marry their sons to Bais and Gautam girls and their daughters to the Panwâr, Chamar Gaur, Sûrajbans, and Raikwâr. Their ancestor is said to have married a Kalhans maiden. From Bulandshahr it is reported that the Chauhâns give brides to the Panwâr, Râthaur, Gahlot, Tilokchandi Bais, Kachhwâha, Sisodiya, and other high class Râjputs; and marry Bargûjar, Pundîr, Katheriya, Bâchhal, Gahlot, and other high caste Râjput girls. In Unâo they usually marry their girls in the Kachhwâha, Râthaur, Janwâr, Gahlot, or Panwâr septs, and their sons to the Sombansi, Sakarwâre, or Chandel. In Gonda they give brides to the Bhadauriya, Sengar, Râthaur, or Bisen: their sons to the Bais, Bisen or other respectable Râjput septs. The bastard Chauhâns marry much lower caste people. [233]

DISTRIBUTION OF CHAUHÂN RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

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The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)Chapter C (2)

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